Long-term intermittent glutamine supplementation repairs intestinal damage (structure and functional mass) with advanced age: Assessment with plasma citrulline in a rodent model

Conclusion Citrulline appears as a biomarker of enterocyte mass in villous atrophy associated with advanced age. Non-invasive measurement of this metabolite may be useful in following the state of the gastrointestinal tract in very old people, whose numbers are increasing worldwide and the care of whom is a major public health issue. The gut may contribute to the malnutrition caused by malabsorption frequently observed in the elderly.
Source: The Journal of Nutrition, Health and Aging - Category: Nutrition Source Type: research